Thirty nine photographs of the Goddess at her best, as we rise towards Midsummer…a mere twenty four days away!
An abundance of fruit, flowers and vegetables, captured this morning on film, images from a small part of the three acres of Bealtaine Cottage, in the west of Ireland…all growing on this “poor” agricultural land.
I won’t take up too much of your time with words, for I would rather you simply enjoy the images, as I have done whilst drinking my morning coffee and walking the land.
Many thanks to Majella and Derek who brought me the beautiful little Oak saplings yesterday…that’s the pic at the top of this post!
I wish you all a Happy Sunday with blessings for the week ahead, from all here at Bealtaine Cottage…May you embrace the joy from Mother Earth XXX Colette XXX
The book “A Cottage and Three Acres,” is now available to purchase…with 71 colour photographs!
The cost of the book is 21.00 euros, plus 5.50 P&P for addresses in Ireland, 6.50 P&P the rest of the world.
Thus books posted to Ireland, total cost 26.50 euros
All other countries worldwide, total cost 27.50 euros
Once through to Paypal, currency conversion is worked out for you. I will acknowledge your order ASAP.
To order and pay, use this button…
Another five days.
Bealtaine.
The beginning of Summer.
This Bealtaine is the celebration of thirteen years of the Bealtaine project.
A project once considered the silly dream of a ridiculous woman.
Against all financial advice it was conceived and against all horticultural wisdom it was planned.
Planned, planted and grown!
This land is both resilient and regenerative…it can grow abundance without me.
I am now free to observe and delight, potter and sit, all the while simply ensuring the gentle maintenance of the edges and paths, free to harvest and raise plants for the Potager Beds which provide some of my food and much of my pleasure.
I have embarked on writing my second book, happy with the good reception of the first, 
I recently read this quote by W. H. Murray and found it to be true to my experience at Bealtaine Cottage over the past thirteen years…
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. “
Wise words…live your life!
Click here to purchase the book… 
As I walked I thought about my Mother, my Grandmother and some of the women who have influenced my life, as Mother’s Day approaches…
Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland was certainly one of those women!
“The Irish presidential election of 1990 was the tenth held in Ireland and the first to include a female candidate. Independent politician Mary Robinson would go on to hold office for the next seven years. In the 1990 election, the Labour Party let it be known that it would run a candidate for the first time and nominated Robinson, a former Labour Party senator, and liberal campaigner. The renegade had been involved in the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform and is widely regarded and respected as atransformative figure in Ireland for liberalizing and revitalizing what was a conservative and low-profile political office. She was a remarkably popular president.” ~ 
My own questions formed around the environment in which I lived, most importantly the Earth and our relationship with her.
I felt empowered by Mary Robinson, as many women at home and abroad felt and continue to feel empowered.
The opportunity to fulfil my dream came over a decade later, when, throwing all caution to the wind, I embarked on what was to become known as the 
The book, “
I was not the only one though, for many, many others were embarking on a similar path all across Earth.
I spoke with all who visited Bealtaine Cottage about Mother Earth, when few people seemed to recognise her plight.
There was a distinct sense of energy rising from the very Earth herself…a form of communication at the most deeply intuitive level.
After years of feeling outcast because of what I sensed and felt, there happened a mighty shift in perception.
As I began to write and photograph what was happening at Bealtaine, so many of you tuned in…often in the most serendipitous of ways!
But, it was not accidental, for all is connected and often in ways we do not understand.
And so the website began reaching people all over the world.
What began as an impossible dream, became a reality of hope for many…that nothing is impossible!
That the doors of perception are not locked and barred!
We are all, each and every one of us on an incredible journey, each one unique, yet deeply connected to all and everything.
We are beautiful souls experiencing a human journey with the greatest Mother of them all…our own Mother Earth.
There’s the makings of a decent salad, with Fennel, Japanese salads like Mizuna and others as well as a lovely edible garnish in the form of Pansy flowers. 
In other parts of the gardens, where little micro-climates exist in the form of stones and shed walls, there’s Flat-leaf Parsley and Thyme. 
Purple Sprouting Broccoli is giving lots of florets…delicious raw or cooked and full of goodness! 
Then there’s Leeks…all grown from saved seed and the stronger for it! 
Elsewhere in the gardens I found stands of Kale…shred this in salads and roast as chip dips! 
Here and there in the flower beds and in pots…lots of Sage and Rosemary…great herbs to add taste to root vegetables at this time of year! 
Bay is growing in abundance, quite acclimatised to the Irish climate. 
Golden Oregano continues to thrive past Midwinter. 
Even the Rhubarb is beginning to produce! 
There’s lots of other food in the garden…for birds and small mammals, in the form of berries. 
The Goddess Gardens are in the midst of an early winter tidy-up. 
This is a way of preparing the earth for the Spring to follow, and, it’s not that far away either.
As we descend towards Midwinter, those involved in caring for the land are all too aware of the time available to prepare for Spring…and that comes in early here in the west of Ireland, with Imbolc on the first day of February! 
Due to the good Autumn we’ve had, the Winter seems shorter, indeed not all the trees have shed their leaves! 
Work in the new Lughnasadh Garden continues, as I move many of the perennial flowers from the Potager Beds, near the back of the cottage, over to the new beds prepared for them. 
I dearly hope to have all the work completed before the Spring, so time outdoors is precious! Mahonia is in full bloom by the bench. This is still in a big pot, but will be planted out if I get the time…another job on the long list! 
The leaf fall this year has been tremendous and will add considerably to the building fertility here in the Goddess Gardens. 
From a barren land to abundant growth in twelve years…I continue to pinch myself! 
As I type, the sun shines in that ethereal way that only descent into Midwinter can do! 
The smell of beans, toast and vegan bacon emanates from the kitchen…a hearty meal before I step out to work on the land. 
I will burn Bay Leaves in my incense pot this morning and the cottage will be infused with sweetness. 
I make my own blend of home grown organic incense, using blends that either calm, invigorate or cleanse.
This seed has adapted over twelve years to grow in difficult conditions, for as you know, it rains frequently here and the gardens are all on a north-facing slope. 
This is why the seed saved here, year after year, is more resilient than commercial seed, which is grown in ideal conditions for the maximum production value! 
Saving seed also makes one value the pollinators, especially the Bees…for without their incredible work there would not be any seed to collect! 
During the 1900’s we experienced a startling drop in the number of heirloom varieties—because gardeners stopped saving and trading their own seeds. 
Here at Bealtaine Cottage I have developed a seed bank over twelve years, adding more and more seed year on year, as the biodiversity increased similarly throughout the gardens. 
When we rely on commercial seed companies, any seeds that sell slowly simply get dropped from production and disappear. 
If you would like to support this vital work of seed-saving and building resilience for the future, consider purchasing some seed from Bealtaine Cottage… 
Each morning I arise and embark on a series of rituals, that culminate with a hot cup of tea in one hand, my camera in the other and faithful Jack by my side. 
It is then that I step out… 
This has been my ritual, though not always with Jack, for the past twelve years. 
And so it continues… 
What has manifested here on this little piece of sacred Earth still takes my breath away! 
I touch base with it as many times a day as I can! 
I take thousands of photographs every year, for the sheer beauty of what Mother Earth can do on three acres of “poor land,” is beyond incredible! 
And this has manifested in one of the last remaining countries on Earth that continues to refer to itself as “Mother.”
“Mother Ireland”
The Great Mother, Mother Earth, Goddess, Creatrix! 
The Celts were one of the last remaining tribes of the Goddess…in that they recognised the spirit of the Earth as female. 
There lies a message in that…
I believe it to be simply this…”I am alive and filled with joy and waiting…” 
And earlier today…
As the thousand and more trees and thousands of plants of the Bealtaine Project grow taller and more dense, so it is the once barren land seems more and more as it is…an Ark for Earth, set into a monoculture landscape of Cash-Crop-Forestry and animal grazing fields. 
This summer witnessed the most Bees, Butterflies, Pollinators and Birds ever! 
The wildlife in search of home are migrating to the oasis of Bealtaine Cottage. 
They know where the food, shelter and ultimate habitat is to be found! 
So, I thought to myself, what if those with gardens, allotments, smallholdings etc., pledged to devote a percentage of what they tend or own to wildlife?
We are talking Arks, where wildlife can not only survive, but thrive! 
This takes the presumption that one cannot make a difference and turns it on it’s ridiculous head! 
For one can make a difference! 
Two can double that little Ark for Earth…hundreds can create a huge difference and thousands…well, thousands can begin to stack the odds in favour of Mother Earth! 
Now don’t get me thinking of hundreds of thousands or even millions, for my head will almost explode with possibilities…but you see where this is going, don’t you? 
And as for Guerrilla Gardening…oh joy!
What about seed bombs chucked out of the car window onto the motorway verges? 
We are creative people who care…if you’ve landed here on this website you most certainly are! 
So let’s get to it! 
Oh, and the Lughnasadh Garden is being worked on little by little, with a grand opening and dedication ceremony next Bealtaine (May 1st)
…the Ark is being extended…
…One Garden At A Time
and…it’s going to be mighty!
One of the flourishing businesses of our time is that of Garden Centres. 
I love walking around a Garden Centre, but can rarely afford to buy more than one or two plants…if that! 
But…I continue to develop the gardens here at Bealtaine Cottage…on a budget that more often than not hovers around the zero mark! 
With lots of inspiration from the greatest gardener of the lot, Mother Nature! 
Home-made compost as well as compoost! 
Liquid fertiliser is always available…urine mixed 10:1 with spring water, (the cottage is fed by a Spring Well!). 
Old bits of wood, logs and tree stumps make wonderful edging. 
Broken terracotta pots and broken china help create the right effect in Rockery Gardens. 
House ornaments that are weather-proof help create the right atmosphere in the garden… 
Stones that are smooth… 
Stones that are big… 
Logs with mossy bits… 
Old candle holders topped with an old can of Sedums… 
Tree stumps with round stones atop… 
Silly concrete garden ornaments bought pre-loved at a Boot Fair and painted… 
…and more Sedums that tolerate neglect! 
Shells and broken bits of tiles… 
It’s a wonderful and fun way to create a small but interesting garden, where one wants to spend more time looking… 
Using wood and stone as well as a multitude of other materials helps create micro-climates where plants flourish. 
Rustic gardens are full of texture and interest… 
Places where the old and unusual take on a new life… 
Like this old river stone in the shape of Gandalf’s hat! 
Garden pots and more ornamental shrubs can be incorporated too… 
I hope you make some of these ideas your own, for wildlife, especially Bees and insects benefit so much from rustic gardens! 
There are over eleven hundred blogs about Bealtaine Cottage and Gardens on this website, as well as over six thousand photographs…all free! 
I have got a lot done because I made the decision last week to come off Facebook…and have shared my thoughts with you on this… 
I posted a number of pics on FB this morning, as so many people delight in seeing Bealtaine Cottage! 
It is, however, almost impossible to respond to comments left on FB as I simply do not have the time and am resolved not to negate my commitment to this blog and the second website at bealtainecottage.org 
Those of you who have followed this blog for any amount of time will be aware of the enormous workload I carry and will, therefore, totally understand this. 
Recently I came across this quote by Joseph Campbell and was deeply moved to meditate upon it for a while. 
I am determined to come away from this driven approach and relax into life more! 
I could do with taking lessons from Sammy-bear, seen here by the Catnip in the tunnel, out of his mind! 
Cats remind us all how we should relax…frequently and often! 
This is a dark time, filled with suffering and uncertainty. Like living cells in a larger body, it is natural that we feel the trauma of our world. So don’t be afraid of the anguish you feel, or the anger or fear, because these responses arise from the depth of your caring and the truth of your interconnectedness with all beings.
This is a bank holiday weekend here in Ireland, and also the great festival of Lughnasadh!
I will stride forth on Lughnasadh Eve to a high point on a nearby mountain to welcome in the new season and pay tribute to Mother Earth and in particular, Mother Ireland. 
To celebrate the season is to turn one’s back on the machinations, arrogance and hubris of Man, seeking instead, the warmth and generosity of the Great Mother…Earth, in all her beauty! 
Before I go, just to let you know, I am writing a blog on the Bealtaine Cottage Good Life website, all about using sheep wool in the tunnel as I prepare it for the Autumn/Winter sowing and planting.
You may remember that last week I visited the Atlantic shoreline to harvest some seaweed to use on the garden. 
The strands to the south of Sligo town have piles of loose seaweed here and there along the beaches.
Always only ever take the loose stuff…don’t pull seaweed from stones as these form habitats and are essential to the ecology of the seashore!
In the end I managed about three big bags of seaweed and headed home with my foraged booty!
The first thing I do is to spread it on the gravel around the cottage and allow the rain to wash out excess salt.
After about a week, I start to spread the seaweed around established plants in the garden and tunnel.
The seaweed acts as a wonderful feed and a weed-suppressing mulch!
One of the best things about growing food in the garden is the opportunity to use local and near resources that are free to be foraged or collected…seaweed is an organic fertiliser! 
Seaweed is washed in by the tide, so is easy to forage!
Only ever take what you need!
It’s packed with Potassium and Nitrogen, bot wonderful for the garden!
